


Notorious

by Daretodream66



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: But he's not actually in the fic, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, Evil Alexander Pierce, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-23 00:22:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18144173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daretodream66/pseuds/Daretodream66
Summary: Steve meets a guy, then loses the guy, then finds the guy (with Pepper and Tony's help), falls in love with the guy.  There's some angst along the way.  Alexander Pierce is a douche canoe, but I don't actually put him in the fic.  Bucky is an actor in this and Becca is a lawyer.  Pepper is a saint and Tony is just a good bro.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this a week or so before Halloween 2018 and it was originally supposed to be a short one shot, it was also supposed to be about Halloween. Things happened and I got dragged into something a little longer and more complicated. Then it just sat with the other 500,000+ words I've written for this fandom because I couldn't get to an ending. I've been working for the last two weeks to make it land where I wanted it. There's been A LOT of deleting. I didn't include the backstory of what happened with Pierce and Bucky, but I trust you, you're smart, you can figure it out from the fact that Bucky hasn't had a relationship in 3 years.

Steve makes his way around the perimeter of the room, watching the people, but not joining in. He’s done as he was told, donning his best suit, that fits him to perfection, and the mask that Natasha had left for him.  He’d checked his reflection in the mirror, noting that the suit hugs his form impressively.  The mask, an array of black feathers and sequins, tied around his head making his blue eyes pop is a bit much for Steve’s taste, but she’d insisted that it is necessary. 

He’s come into the party, already in full swing, and gone straight for the bar. Thor, who doesn’t understand the tradition of Halloween, is tending bar and pours Steve a glass of mead.  Steve is thankful that he can at least get a buzz from it, and asks for a second.  He promised Pepper that he wouldn’t leave until after midnight and plans to get through that promise with the mead’s help.

Now, he’s moving around the crowd, watching as people flirt and dance. He doesn’t want any of that tonight and thankfully Natasha promised to leave his dateless ass alone.  The black suit and black mask help him blend into the dark corners.  Leaning on a pillar, he sips from his second tumbler of mead. 

Just as he’s about to move to a new spot, something catches his eye or rather someone. Moving through the crowd, coming in Steve’s direction, is a man, dressed in a tux with a white dinner jacket.  He moves with confidence and grace, weaving through the people like he’s on a mission.  The mask he wears is deep blue and if the black of Steve’s mask makes his eyes pop, this guy’s mask was made to give people a heart attack from the purity of his blue/grey eyes. 

He’s spectacularly attractive in an old Hollywood way. He’s muscular and his dark brown hair curls slightly in waves to his shoulders.  What Steve can see is beautiful and he wishes that he could see more than the small smirk and dimple of his chin.  Steve feels his body react to this guy and smirks to himself.  He moves gracefully, like a dancer, but with a swagger that Steve knows too well.  Tony moves with the same swagger, so Steve puts this guy in that category: too much money, not enough to take up his time, playing the field with whatever strikes his fancy.  He’s _really_ nice to watch though.

He seems to be coming to Steve’s corner and the super soldier decides to move on to give this guy the privacy he’s probably searching for. There’s most likely a woman somewhere, getting a drink or powdering her nose, that will be meeting the guy soon and he’ll use his obvious wiles to woo her into his bed tonight.  Pushing off the pillar, he checks the area for a clear corner, starting to move away, he hears a voice, deep and dripping with warmth.  “I was hoping to join you, not have you run away.”

Steve freezes. Well, that’s new, most of the time it’s women hitting on Steve.  He’s seen as the straightest of straight men and does nothing to quash that belief, but this guy, this guy could persuade Steve to do just that.  “I assumed incorrectly then that you had someone else meeting you here.”

The guy chuckles, making Steve smirk again. The chuckle is warm and it invites Steve into the sound.  “And why would I have someone else meeting me in this dark corner when the best looking guy in the place is already here?”

Steve snorts. “You can’t even see my face.  How do you know I’m the best looking guy here?  You’ve seen the bartender, right?”  Steve always had a problem with people that used lines, but something about this guy just rang all of Steve’s bi-sexual bells.

It’s the mystery guys turn to snort. “You mean the god of thunder?  Yeah, he’s okay, but kind of big and bulky.”

Steve barks out a laugh, gazing into those eyes. “I’m kinda bulky too, pal.”

And then Steve has a very attractive pair of eyes, staring at him intently, joined by two hands, running up his chest. “But your bulk is manageable.  Your bulk wouldn’t crush my bulk in bed.”

Steve stops breathing. “Uh…I’m not…uh…”  He doesn’t know how to explain to this guy that Steve’s now in uncharted territory.  Just because he likes guys too, doesn’t mean he’s ever actually done anything about it.

The guy’s eyes widen, then close. “Oh…sorry, I sometimes forget that not everyone is gay.  Sorry, I’ll just leave.”

As he’s moving away, Steve reaches out and grabs his hand. “Don’t.”  The guy turns, looking shy and so unlike how he first appeared.  “I was never tempted…until now.”

The guy blushes and looks up at Steve through his lashes. “I’m James.”

“I’m Steve.” Steve pulls the man to him, leaning in, brushing his lips across his cheek, just below his mask, close to his ear.  “You have beautiful eyes.”

It’s just a whisper and makes James shiver. Turning his head, he captures Steve’s lips in a tentative kiss.  Steve goes all in because that’s just what he does.  The kiss becomes bruising and James moans.  Steve lifts his head and looks down into James’s eyes again.  James looks flustered and unsure.  “Wow, you know how to throw a guy off.”

Steve leans down and kisses up the man’s neck. “You threw me off just walking over here.”

They spend the rest of the evening hiding in different corners and making out while the party goes on around them. Everyone is too caught up in their own fun to noticed two masked men in the shadows.  There’s teasing and quietly shared conversation and the more Steve learns, the more he likes James.

When it’s obvious that the party is winding down, Steve pulls James in again, grazing his lips back to his ear. “So, are you going to run away like Cinderella or do I get to take my prize home?”

James chuckles. “I didn’t spend all night getting you primed, to let you walk out of my life.”

“Do you need to let anyone know?” Steve glances around the room, trying to see if anyone seems to be looking for James.

“Nope, came all by my lonesome.” James grabs his hand.  “We better get downstairs and hail a cab.”

Steve realizes that the guy, James, doesn’t know who he is behind the mask. “Don’t need a cab.  I live here.”

James looks up startled. “What do you mean you live here?”  Steve reaches up, untying the mask and pulling it away from his face.  James’s eyes get comically wide.  “Oh shit…nononono…”  Before Steve can ask what’s going on, James is running for the lift.  It opens and James disappears.  The doors close and Steve is still standing, watching in disbelief.

Not really sure what just happened, he takes the stairs to his floor. Throwing the mask on the sofa, he flings himself in the armchair by the window and thinks about lips caressing his.  Bringing his fingers up to his mouth, he runs them over the lips that James had been kissing less than 20 minutes ago.  What the hell just happened?  He goes over and over every minute of the evening and can’t figure out what spooked James so much.  Yeah…sure…Steve is Captain America, but how did James not know that already?  He’d told him his name and most people would have figured it out by the end of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky's side of the party.

Bucky gets off the phone with his agent and goes into the bedroom to get dressed. He still isn’t sure why he agreed to this, but after months in Greece, shooting his latest film, he needs a night out.  The invitation to Stark’s Halloween party seemed like a good idea, but now that it’s the night of, Bucky is kind of tired.  Allie, his agent; however, had assured Bucky that it would be fun and he needed this.  Plus, she’s sent over a mask and told him to take a cab to the party instead of a car service.

The reasoning being that most ‘well-known’ people would be showing up without their masks on so that the paparazzi could take their picture. If Bucky shows up in a cab, already wearing the mask, they will hopefully think he’s just a Stark employee and ignore him.  On top of that, there haven’t been any pictures of him since he grew his hair out for the part in Greece.  His usual high and tight has given way to flowing tresses that Allie keeps saying she’s jealous of.

So, he dresses, placing the mask on his face and hails a cab outside of his brownstone. It works like a charm and he gets in the front door without anyone trying to stop him.  Others, on the red carpet, are stopping, posing and being camera hounds, but Bucky just goes in, shows his invite and waltzes into the elevator.

The party is a who’s who in the entertainment world, but Bucky doesn’t want that right now. What he wants is some down time where no one knows who he is.  The few times that an attractive woman has stopped him, he smiles, then politely excuses himself.  He goes to the bar a few times for refills and talks with the bartender and although Bucky has to admit that Thor, God of Thunder, is gorgeous, he’s just not quite Bucky’s type. 

Then he sees…him.

He’s standing in a dark corner, watching everyone, but making a point to not be part of the party. Bucky is an actor, so he studies people for a living and knows discomfort when he sees it.  This guy wants to be here even less than Bucky and that just draws the actor in.  Weaving his way through the crowd, he knows the guy sees him coming.  The closer Bucky gets, the more he’s drawn to this guy.  He can’t see his face for the mask, but what he can see is breathtaking.  He knows it’s a gamble, but it’s been three years and something about this guy just makes him want to try.

Their initial flirting gives way to intense flirting and making out. The guy pushes all of Bucky’s buttons physically, but it’s after they’ve been bouncing from one dark corner to another that he realizes that (1) this guy has no idea who Bucky is and (2) is a sarcastic little shit not afraid to rag on Tony Stark.  Bucky thinks he may be falling a little in love with this guy.

“So what do you do for Stark?” Steve stops sucking on Bucky’s neck long enough to chuckle.

“Whatever he tells me to.” Then he makes a huffing noise.  “That’s not completely true.  He tells me what he wants me to do and then I do what I know will work.  Results are the same, but it saves a lot of bullshit time if I pretend to listen to him.”

Bucky laughs. “Does he have any idea that he’s got a rebel working for him?”

“Are you kidding? He thinks I constantly tow the company line.”  Steve bites at Bucky’s earlobe causing Bucky to shuck in a sharp breath.  “Most of the time, I don’t even know what company line he’s towing.”

Then, like so many other things in Bucky’s life, it all comes crashing down. The mask comes off and Bucky sees the face of Steve Rogers.  Captain Fucking America.  He does the only thing that he can and runs like his ass is on fire.  He knows that he should have picked up on who was behind the mask, but it never, in a million years, occurred to him that Steve Rogers might be bi-sexual.  What a media circus that would be for the man out of time.

Once outside, Bucky leans against the dirty brick wall of the alley, breathing heavy and swearing obscenities in his head. How the hell did he get himself into this?  Oh that’s right, he took a chance and it backfired.  Pulling the mask off, he throws it in a dumpster, shoves his hands into his pockets, puts his head down and makes for home.  Yeah, it will take awhile to get there walking, but he needs to walk this off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper makes a realization and Sam Wilson is a gift.

Steve sits in Pepper’s office, looking through the guest list for the party two nights ago. All he wants is to find out what happened and to do that, he needs to find out who James is.  The problem is that there is no James on the guest list. 

“I’m sorry Steve, but that’s everyone that was there.” Pepper seems as troubled as Steve considering she just found out that he’s bi-sexual and needs to find the guy that he has a massive crush on.  “Are you sure about the name?  I mean you had been drinking Thor’s mead.”

Steve shakes his head in frustration. “Pepper, I know what he told me.”

“Did you get a last name?” She’s leaning on her desk.

“No, just James.” Getting up, he gives the list back to Pepper and starts to the door.  “Please don’t tell anyone.”  He’s facing the door, not looking at her.  “I’m not ready for the team to know yet.”

She looks down at the list, wondering who this guy might have been. She knows everyone that was invited and no invitations were for a James.  Then she sees it and wants to beat her head on her desk.  This could be so very bad for Steve if she’s right.  Getting up, Pepper calls for a car.

Steve goes out for a run and tries not to think about James. He knows that isn’t going to work.  Halfway through the run, his phone rings.  Checking it, he sees that it’s Sam and picks up.  “Hey Sam.”

“I need you to tell me why I just got a call from Pepper and she said you might need someone to talk to.” Steve pulls the phone away from his ear and presses it to his forehead.  “Steve?”

Putting it back to his ear, he starts walking and looking around him to be sure no one is paying attention. “Because I told her something and she’s probably worried about me and how I’m handling it.”

“Start at the beginning and I’ll see if she has anything to worry about.”

Steve tells Sam everything about the party. “Then he ran and according to the guest list there wasn’t a James there.”

“You’re bi-sexual?”

“After all that and that’s all you heard?” Steve stops, checks his surroundings again.  “Yes Sam, I’m bi-sexual.  Is that an issue?”

“No! No, that’s not what I meant, it’s just not something the history books mentioned.”

“Because the history books tell the story they want everyone to buy not what was actually going on.” Steve sits on a bench and leans forward.  “How bad is this going to get?”

“It’s not going to get bad at all unless you find this guy. From what I just heard, you aren’t going to let this go and when you find him you’re going to do what you always do and go headlong into it without thought.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Taking a deep breath, Steve continues.  “He wasn’t just beautiful, Sam, he was smart, funny and…perfect.”

There’s a chuckle from the other end of the phone. “Damn!  You have got it bad.”  Steve looks down at the ground.  “I say, find this guy, date the hell out of him and then marry his ass if you want to.  Steve, you have a chance to be happy.  Screw what anyone else thinks.”

Steve smiles for the first time in two days. “Thanks Sam.”

He goes back to his apartment and showers, calling out for food, he brings up Netflix and goes to the next movie on his cue. He watches for a little while, but when that doesn’t seem to hold his attention, he grabs his sketch pad and starts drawing.  It doesn’t take Steve long to figure out that what’s coming out on the page is James, beautiful eyes behind a deep, blue mask.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper has a talk with Bucky.

The front door buzzes and Bucky drags himself off the couch to see who it is. “Yeah?”

“Mr. Barnes, it’s Pepper Potts.”

He takes his finger off the button and presses to unlock the outer door. “Shit, shit, shit.”  He knows why she’s here and doesn’t want to get into this.  The day after the party, Becca had come over and he’d told her everything.  Her only concern was him and that’s why he loves his sister so much.  After being told that her brother made out with Captain America, she was only upset for him.

There’s a knock and Bucky tries to look put together. Opening the door, he feels himself flush in embarrassment.  “I’m going to assume from your blush that you know why I’m here.”  He nods.  “I didn’t tell him who you are.”  She steps into the apartment.

Looking up he knows she can see his confusion. “Why?”

She motions to the couch and they sit. “Because you had some trouble a few years ago and I don’t want Steve dragged into something that can get him hurt.”  She’d like to be more tactful, but she also doesn’t know how to do that in this situation.

“I understand. If you don’t tell him, he’ll never know it was me.”  Getting up, he heads to the door.  He knows his reputation and that’s why he had run that night.  The last thing he wants to do is to drag Steve into a scandal and things being what they are, that’s all this will be.  Opening the door, he waits for her to get up and leave.  “It’s simple and effective.  Case closed.”

She’s not getting up though and looks at him carefully. “You like him.”

He sighs and keeps standing with the door open, trying to indicate that she can leave. “It doesn’t really matter how I feel.  You made your position clear and I have nothing to gain from hurting him, so, if you don’t mind, I need to get back to work.”

She’s still not moving. “You really like him.”

Bucky would really like it if she would stop stabbing him with those words. “Again, doesn’t matter.  Have a good day, Ms. Potts.”

Finally, she gets up and comes to the door, slamming it closed. “Tell me what happened three years ago.”

“Why?” Bucky starts to shake because he doesn’t want to think about that anymore.  He’s still in therapy and takes anxiety meds for it, so talking about it isn’t something he really wants to do.

“Because there’s more going on here than what was in the news. You aren’t…”  The shaking gets worse and he goes to the kitchen for his meds.  She follows him and watches as he tries to open the bottle and fails.  Taking it from him, she opens it, gives him one of the pills, then looks at the label.  “What really happened?”

He collapses into a kitchen chair and starts at the beginning. By the time he’s done, Pepper is in tears and holding his hand.  “Why didn’t you come out and tell that to the press?”

He chuckles a mirthless laugh. “By the time everything was said and done, we had to both sign a non-disclosure agreement.  Which I’ve just broken by telling you.”  He looks ashamed.  “It was a hard sale for my sister, but I did it so that I could get out from under Pierce and find a new agency.”

Pepper’s eyes get big. “Wait!  Rebecca Barnes is your sister?”

Bucky smiles a genuine smile for the first time in days. “Yeah, she’s pretty incredible.”

“Incredible isn’t the word for it. I’ve been trying to hire her for years, but she keeps turning me down.”

“She likes to fight the good fight, but usually for the little guy that gets taken in other circumstances.” He loves talking about his sister and how proud he is of her.

“I think we can help each other, Mr. Barnes.” She reaches for his hand again.  “I’ll help you, if you help me.”

“What can I possibly do to help you?”

“You can convince your sister that I have the perfect job for her.” She’s grinning.  “Helping the little guy, but with the resources to back it up.”

“And what do I get out of this?”

“You get Steve.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange things are afoot at Stark Industries and Steve does some digging.

It has been weeks and Steve still can’t get James out of his head. The team has been on one mission that lasted nearly two weeks, but even then, he can’t stop thinking about the smart, funny man with beautiful eyes.  The team notices, but don’t say anything because the one time Natasha tried Steve very clearly tells them it’s none of their damn business and walks away.  Steve knows he’s being harsh with them.  He knows he needs to tell them.  He just can’t bring himself to do it.  Just because Pepper and Sam didn’t react badly doesn’t mean someone won’t.

They return home with about a week and a half until Thanksgiving. Tony, being Tony, plans a big, over the top dinner and all Steve can think about is James and where he might be spending the holiday.  Pepper contacts Steve and asks him to come to the dinner.  His first instinct is to say no, but he can’t say no to Pepper.

Over the course of the weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving, strange things start to happen with Stark Industries. Tony makes an announcement that SI is getting into the entertainment business and has opened an elite talent agency.  On the heels of this announcement comes another that they have signed a one Bucky Barnes as Stark’s first and most accomplished actor.  Pepper releases a statement that after intense negotiations Mr. Barnes finally agreed to leave his current agency to join Stark.  She goes on to say that his talents have not been utilized to their fullest and Stark intends to rectify that oversight. 

Then, Pepper announces that Stark Industries is opening a new legal department, headed by none other than Rebecca Barnes. It will work all cases pro bono and work to see that all members of society are represented fairly. 

Steve gets curious and looks up information on the two acquisitions. First, he finds that Rebecca and Bucky Barnes are sister and brother; joined at the hip for most of their lives.  Parents having died when Rebecca was only 14 and Bucky was 18, he raised her and put her through college and law school.  She graduated top of her class and has been fighting for the little guy ever since.  Steve immediately likes her because of this.

Bucky, on the other hand, is an actor, but a few years ago a scandal derailed a promising career and since then he’s been working low budget ‘B’ movies. Steve makes a mental note to maybe watch one or two to see if they guy has any real talent.

Steve reads about the scandal and can’t believe that Pepper would be associated with this, but knowing Pepper as well as he does, he starts digging into the situation and finds too many discrepancies for everything he’s reading to be correct. By the times he’s done, he realizes Pepper must have figured out what Steve just figured out; Bucky Barnes was set up by his own agent, Alexander Pierce.  And Pepper wants to give this guy a real shot meaning Steve couldn’t respect Pepper anymore than he does in this moment.  He hopes that Bucky Barnes realizes how lucky he is to have Pepper in his corner.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanksgiving at Stark Tower.

“Becca, why do we have to go to this dinner?” He’s pulling off another shirt that doesn’t look right.  “You know how bad this could turn out.”

Becca comes into the room, takes one look at all the clothes on the bed, and goes into the closet, coming out with a grey cashmere sweater, throwing it at Bucky’s head. “Put that on and get your ass in gear.”

He doesn’t say anything else, just does as he’s told. This last month has been the weirdest of his whole life.  He now works for Stark Talent and Becca works for Stark Industries.  Pepper turned his handlings over to a woman named Janine who has been making calls and setting up deals.  No agent has ever worked this hard for Bucky and he doesn’t really know what to do with that.  Becca has been spending time setting up her office and staff, giddy with energy and hopes.

Bucky has been thinking about Steve. Truthfully, Steve is about 90% of what he thinks about these days and that brings him to his current dilemma, dinner at the Tower, means dinner with Steve in the room.  Pepper had assured him that he and Becca weren’t the only guests that were going to be there, it _was_ a Stark party after all.  So, Bucky resigned himself to hiding in the corners of the room and then stopped that train of thought because it brought him back to Steve.

“Mr. Barnes, Ms. Barnes, it’s so good to see you. Thank you for coming.”  Pepper is putting on her best face for this because if it works out, things will be incredible before the days over, if it doesn’t, this is all going to fall apart quickly.  Bucky studies her and sees the stress on her face even though she’s trying to cover it.

Tony comes over, taking Bucky’s arm, pulling him towards the bar. “So my lovely partner in crime tells me that you are the reason that Cap is so off these days.”  Tony is smiling like their conversation is friendly.  “What the hell did you do to my friend, Barnes?”

Bucky stops, gauging just how much trouble he’s in, but that isn’t the look Tony is giving him. The look is of concern.  “I didn’t know who it was.  Believe me, I wouldn’t have made a move if I had.”

Tony smiles, not smirks, but really smiles. “You really do like him.”

Bucky just nods and Tony hands him a glass of Champaign. “I’m trying to get passed it.”

Tony spins him quickly and he nearly stumbles into…Steve. “Cap, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

Steve looks about the way Bucky feels, haunted. “Oh…uh…hi.”

Bucky really wants to run, but Steve’s so damn beautiful that he can’t get his feet to cooperate. Tony sniggers.  “Cap, this is Bucky Barnes our new A-list actor.  Mr. Barnes, this is Captain Steve Rogers.”

Steve smiles softly. “Please, call me Steve and it’s a pleasure.”

Not thinking Bucky says the one thing he shouldn’t. “Steve.”

Steve’s eyes go wide. Bucky sees the second that it happens.  Tony sees it too and grins like a demented clown.  “And my job is done.  Have fun kids.”

Steve hasn’t stopped looking at Bucky. “James?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally talk.

It’s him, it’s James. Taking his hand, he pulls James, no Bucky, from the over-crowded room and onto the balcony.  “Bucky?”

Bucky hasn’t looked up and can’t get his brain to really function properly. Shaking himself, he turns to look out at the city below.  Clearing his throat, he takes a deep breath.  “Listen Steve, if I had known that night who was behind the mask, I would have steered clear.”  Turning back he sees Steve studying him.

“Would have steered clear because you didn’t want to get involved with me or because you thought I could get hurt by your past?” Steve leans against the railing, looking down at the street so far below.

“Because you don’t need someone with my reputation messing up what you have.” Steve can tell that Bucky wants to run and he’s not going to let that happen again.

“And if I told you that I know about your reputation and don’t give a damn about that.” He sees Bucky look up surprised.  “And if I also told you that after having looked into how that reputation evolved that I think you were taken advantage of, would that make a difference.”

Bucky leans with his back to the railing, looking in at the party going on without them. “It doesn’t really matter what actually happened, it only matters what people think happened.”

Steve reaches out, running his hand down Bucky’s arm and taking his hand. “I don’t give a damn what people think, never have.  What I care about is you.  I’ve been trying to find you for a month.”

“You looked for me?” Steve’s surprised by Bucky’s reaction.

He chuckles. “I don’t know why that surprises you.  You’re the first person that I’ve felt anything for since waking up in this weird place.”

Bucky chuckles at that. “Still trying to find your footing?”

Steve rubs Bucky’s hand. “Buck, this insane future would be a lot better if I had someone to navigate it with.”

“Steve, you have to know that you’re going to catch hell for being anywhere near me.”

That makes Steve outright laugh. “Maybe you didn’t pay attention to history in school, but I wasn’t one for taking the easy way on anything.”  He steps in front of Bucky.  “I met you that night and things started making sense.  You make sense to me.  I don’t give a fuck what anyone says about me and I want to be with you.  Please.”

Bucky looks down at their joined hands. “On one condition.”

“Anything! Name it.” Steve feels hopeful for the first time.

“If it gets to be too much, you tell me. I’ll back off and leave you alone.” 

“That goes for you too. It’s not like dating Captain America is going to be a walk in the park.”  Bucky finally looks up and laughs.

“I’m not dating Captain America, I’m dating Steve.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner and dessert.

Dinner is not as bad as Bucky thought it would be considering that he’s been seated next to Steve and Steve has only released his hand so that they can eat. The interaction between Steve and Bucky is how Steve decides to ‘tell’ the team.  Most of them just keep smiling at the joy bleeding from their leader.  When Sam comments on having known that Steve would be all in, the team looks at him accusingly, realizing that he’d known already.  He just snorts at them. 

Becca stays after dinner to talk to Pepper about an idea she has for the new legal department; giving her brother a smirk as he leaves. And Steve rides home with Bucky because seeing your date home is just good manners.

That’s how Bucky finds himself pinned to the wall of his entry hall, Steve’s tongue down his throat. Steve runs his hands down Bucky’s back, over his ass and onto his thighs, lifting. Bucky gets with the program and wraps his legs around Steve’s waist; locking his ankles behind Steve’s back.  Steve’s mouth trails down his neck.  “Jesus Buck…knew you’d be…beautiful…but fuck…not like this.”

Steve latches hold of his neck, sucking relentlessly. The shout that Bucky lets out makes Steve chuckle darkly.  “pleasepleaseplease…Stevie…please…”

Bucky tightens his legs when one of Steve’s hands comes up to caress his cheek. “No running after, no second guessing what you think I need, no second guessing what you need.  I want you, have wanted you since that night, will want you after.  No running away this time.”  Bucky nods and Steve carries him to the bed.  “You going to be good for me now, Buck?”

Bucky’s eyes dilate and his breathing becomes short bursts. “Jesus fucking Christ, yes.”  Steve smirks down at him, laying his body on top of the smaller man.

“Now let’s get you opened up for me, Beautiful.” Bucky whimpers again because holy fucking hell, Steve Rogers is hot.

 

The following morning, Bucky wakes slowly, on his stomach, covers thrown to the end of the bed, spilling onto the floor. There are hands on his thighs, gently moving up until they cup his ass, moving further up, they massage his lower back.  Then they are by his shoulders, pushing his hair aside and light kisses are being rained on his upper back and neck.  He’d wake up this way every damn day if he could.  His brain comes online and he realizes that Steve’s warmth is hovering just above him and he smiles.  “You awake for me, Beautiful?”

Bucky snuffles a little, rubbing his face in the pillow then arching into Steve’s warmth. He hums, but doesn’t speak.   Steve lays himself on Bucky, but holds some of his weight on his elbows next to Bucky’s head.  Bucky can feel how awake Steve is.  “Someone’s happy to see me.”

Steve chuckles. “We might need to talk about that.”  Steve lifts just enough for Bucky to roll over.  Looking down Steve is hard enough to drive nails.  Bucky looks up, quirking an eyebrow, making Steve look at him sheepishly.  “The serum.  I can go for awhile and it doesn’t go down.”

Bucky leans up, kissing Steve as his hands journey to the south. “You should have told me that last night.”  He takes Steve in hand, making the other man moan.  “I could have done a few more rounds with you.”  He strokes and watches as Steve’s eyes roll back in pleasure.  “I bet I’m still open and wet for you.”

Steve’s hands grab Bucky’s legs and pull them up so he can wrap them around Steve’s waist. “Let’s find out.”  Bucky is a wrung out mess by the time Steve gets up to go get food.  He does notice through the haze of post-coital bliss that Steve is still semi-hard.  The man is going to kill him with sex.  That’s how Bucky is going to die, Steve Rogers is going to fuck him to death.  Bucky grins to himself because he can think of nothing he’d rather die from than too much Steve.

Steve comes back from the coffee shop with enough food to feed Bucky for a week. He’s sitting in bed, going through his phone.  Steve hands him coffee, then kicking off his shoes, he climbs in, propping himself against the headboard and pulling Bucky to lean into him.  Steve seems to be a little possessive and it makes Bucky grin.  “Everything okay?”

Bucky’s in trouble with Becca because she apparently has been texting since last night and Bucky didn’t answer for obvious reasons. “Becs is mad at me.  She thinks I’m ignoring her texts and calls.”

“You better let her know you’re okay.” Steve sighs.  “I heard your phone going off last night and this morning.  I’m sorry. I should have said something.”

Bucky leans up and kisses under Steve’s chin. “I’m glad you didn’t.”  Steve picks up a grape and feeds it to Bucky.  Bucky makes a point to suck Steve’s fingers into his mouth.

“Jesus, you’re going to be the death of me.” Steve’s eyes dilate the longer Bucky sucks.

Bucky chuckles. “I was thinking the same thing about your earlier.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The public finds out.

They spend Black Friday, cuddling in bed and watching movies. Truth be told, movies might be playing, but they are more wrapped up in each other to really pay attention.  As the sun starts to sink in the sky, Steve’s phone goes off.  The alert is deafening and Bucky jumps.  “Fuck.”  Steve leans over and Bucky chuckles at his language.

“Everything okay?” Steve’s frowning down at his phone then looks back at Bucky.

“No, that’s Avengers business.” He leans over, kissing Bucky.  “I have to go.  There’s picking me up from the roof.”

Bucky flops back on the bed. “I knew it was too good to last.”  He pouts, making Steve grin.

Steve crawls back onto the bed, hovering over Bucky. “If I tell you to stay here until I get back, would you?”  His eyes travel down Bucky’s body, covered in bites and bruises.

“If I could believe me, I would. Just lounge in bed until you come back to do whatever you want with me?  Hell yeah.”  They both laugh.  “But I think I’m expected to be in meetings on Monday.”

Steve reaches over, brushing Bucky’s hair away from his face. “God you are so beautiful.”  He kisses Bucky one more time, grabs his shirt and heads to the door.  “I’ll let you know when I’m on my way back.”  Bucky nods and Steve’s gone.

 

The story breaks just over a week later when Steve finally makes it back to town from the mission and instead of going to the tower to change and debrief, he goes straight to Bucky’s house. Bucky flings the outer door open, expecting Steve to back him into the space and shut the door, but that’s not what Steve does.  After a week of not seeing Bucky, he pulls him in, sealing their mouth together right there on the front step.  And because paparazzi are almost always outside of Bucky’s brownstone, pictures are taken.

Janine calls the next morning and Pepper shows up when Steve and Bucky aren’t even out of bed yet. In fact, they are in a rather compromising position when the phone rings and someone starts banging on the front door.

Bucky gets the phone and Steve gets the door. Pepper barges in and Janine is screaming on the other end of the phone.  Bucky looks at Steve like his life is over and Steve looks at Pepper like she’s not speaking English.  “The least you two could have done is to not make it so easy!”

Steve looks at Pepper flabbergasted. “I wasn’t trying to make it easy, but it’s been over a week Pepper.  Do you have any idea what it’s like to be away from the man you love for that long?”  She looks at him like he’s lost his mind and he gives her a knowing look.

Bucky freezes in mid-sentence at this new development. Janine is calling his name repeatedly.  “You…you…you love me?”

Pepper stops all commentary and Steve turns to Bucky. “Well yeah, Buck.  I thought you knew.”  He steps towards Bucky, but stops.  “Is that not…do you not…”  Steve looks panicked and Bucky just can’t have that.

He goes to Steve, dropping his phone to the floor, letting Steve sweep him up into a searing kiss that is all encompassing. “I love you too.  So much, Stevie.”

Pepper picks his phone up. “Janine, I know this is not ideal, but we’ve got two love sick puppies over here and we can’t let this get ugly.”

PR is what Pepper does and has done since meeting Tony, so she looks at the situation and smiles. “Alright boys, this is what’s going to happen.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers protect their own.

What happens over the next couple of weeks is unexpected by almost everyone. Bucky starts getting offers for movie roles he never would have been considered for before.  He knows why and so does everyone else.  Bucky makes no pretense that if not for the fact that he’s seeing Steve, he wouldn’t be offered anything.  Janine tells him to go and show them what he can really do and prove that Steve isn’t the only reason they should be hiring him.  Two months later, when he’s on set, the director is awed by his untapped talent. 

Steve takes the worst of the situation; being called every derogatory word that the conservatives can come up with. Washington calls for Captain America to give up the shield to someone that deserves it and Pepper lets Tony respond to that.  She wouldn’t normally do that, but after reading his statement, it’s less inflammatory than hers, so she goes with it.  Tony releases this statement:

‘All those decades ago when my father used his own resources to create that shield, he saw something in Steve Rogers that I didn’t see for a long time. My father saw how worthy Steve Rogers is of not just carrying that shield, but of the respect that we give to the icon that he’s become.  And more than the icon, a man that we can all look up to.  Stark Industries paid for and created that shield and the United States Government has no say in what happens to it.  So, from me, the son of Steve Rogers best friend, go fuck yourself.  If you think you can come take the shield, I dare you to try.  The Avengers and Stark Industries will be waiting.’

Sam is stopped in Washington by a reporter and asked if this is why he won’t move to New York, that he knew this about Steve and doesn’t want to associate with him too closely. Similar questions are put to the rest of the Avengers at different times.  Each time the response is the same; although sometimes worded a little differently, but still the same message – ‘go fuck yourself.’  Even Pepper becomes a little less eloquent when asked at a fund raiser – ‘it would please me if you wouldn’t sound like a narrow-minded prick when you talk to me.’

Steve disappears from the public eye and no one will tell the general population where he’s hiding out, mostly because he doesn’t want anyone to know. The only three people that know are Becca, Pepper and Tony. Tony doesn’t share it with the team because he doesn’t want them going to make sure Steve is okay.  Although, he’s pretty sure that they’ve figured it out.  Tony knows for sure that he’s okay because the agreement is that every two days, Steve does a check in.  He’s been gone for six weeks and Tony sits at his desk at the designated time.  FRIDAY puts the incoming call on screen.

Tony chuckles because Steve is sitting in the same room he’s always in when he calls and Bucky is draped over his back grinning at Tony. “Cap, you got a little somethin on your shoulder.”

Bucky kisses the side of Steve’s neck. “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to go to the doctor and have it removed.”  Bucky then licks Steve’s ear.  “EWWW…Buck, what the hell?”

Tony sniggers and Bucky barks out a laugh making Steve’s face go all goopy. “You deserved it.  Hi Tony.”

“Hey Buckaroo, how’s the shoot going?” Pepper comes into the room and sits down with Tony.  Bucky and Steve wave.

“The movie is insane. I haven’t ever worked on something with this kind of budget.  And Stevie has become very popular on set.”  Steve blushes.

“Do tell, James.” Pepper loves the gossip from the movie set.

“Well we were shooting a scene a few days ago and Steve kept huffing and puffing about how it wasn’t feasible, so they had him come in and show them how the scene should have been done. It was one of those big, fancy action shots and Stevie had to go all Captain America on them.  The stunt people want him to come in every day to work through the stunts.”  Bucky comes around Steve and plops into his lap.  Steve circles his waist with his arms, pulling him back into his chest.

“So he’s trying to take over your movie is what you’re saying.” Tony grins.  “I knew you were a diva, Cap.”

“Shaddup Stark.” The laughter is infectious and it just feels so damn good to be laughing about everything.

Pepper finally gets serious. “How are you really doing, Steve?” 

Steve looks at his friends then at Bucky. “I’m really doing good.  I don’t know that I’ve ever been this happy in my life.”

Tony smiles warmly. “Then you keep doing that and we’ll keep the home fires burning until you’re ready to come back.”

“Thanks, Tony.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve returns to the fold.

Steve does return a month later, leaving Bucky to finish filming and to figure out what he’s going to do now. The press camp outside of the Tower now just waiting for him to leave on a run or errand and then descend like vultures.  Pepper told him that she’s gotten numerous calls for interviews, but all of them want to talk about Bucky’s past, so she’s refused all of them. 

A mission comes up only a few days after he returns and he dons the stealth suit and leaves with the team. While fighting through a determined terrorist cell, Tony takes a hit and if not for Steve, it could have been exceptionally bad.  They both come home injured, but Tony is walking instead of being carried.  The debrief goes longer than normal because Washington wants to blame Steve and Tony loses his shit, telling them that they are dangerously close to losing Iron Man and the rest of the team joins in on that sentiment.  Steve finally calls the meeting over when he sees Tony wincing from pain and he and Tony go to the medical wing to be checked over.

“I’m trying to understand their perspective, but I’m just pissed.” Tony watches Steve pace the exam room while lying on the table.

“That’s what Washington does.” The doctor comes in at that point.

“Captain, your advanced healing should have you up and in optimal shape in a day or so. Mr. Stark, you sir are grounded.”  Steve chuckles.

“I haven’t been grounded since my mother did it when I was 12.” Tony tries to sit up, but needs Steve to help him.

“Well, then I’m in good company.” Tony smiles at that.  “You’re going to need to take the next few weeks off.  If I read the file right, you owe Captain Rogers your life.”

“Oh for god sakes, Doc, don’t say that in front of him. I have to act nice now.”  Steve deposits Tony on his floor into Pepper’s capable hands and returns to his own floor.

He looks longingly at the bed, wondering what Bucky is doing.  He’s not going to sleep tonight because weeks of sleeping next to Bucky and now not having that, it’s just too much.  He didn’t realize how much coming back from a mission to having Bucky there had seeped into his psyche.  He showers and crawls into bed then remembers his phone.

Grabbing it from the drawer, he sees that there are multiple missed calls and texts from Bucky. The last text was sent just this afternoon. 

Bucky: I just saw that the Avengers are on their way home. I don’t care what time it is, call me when you get in.

Hitting the call button, it rings three times before Bucky picks up sounding mostly asleep. “Stevie?”

“Hey Buck.” Steve just smiles into the empty, dark room.  “How’s my baby?”

There’s a sigh and then a sniffle. “God I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Beautiful. Is everything else okay?”  Steve sinks down into the blankets.

“Everything is great on set, but my bed isn’t right.”

Steve chuckles at that. “Yeah, I have the same problem with mine.  When you get home I think we need to talk about that.”

“Oh, and what do we need to talk about?” Steve can hear the smile in his voice.

“I think you need to move in here or I need to move in with you, but either way, I don’t think sleeping without you is something I want to do anymore.” He waits to see what Bucky’s reaction is.

“I think we should move into your place. Too many people know where I live.”

“The whole goddamn world knows where I live, Bucky.” Steve hears the laugh and can’t help the smile that creeps across his face.

“Yeah, but you have the best security and can keep them out.”

They talk about it for nearly half an hour and then both fall asleep still on the phone with each other. The following morning, Steve goes to check on Tony.  “Steve, if you don’t get him to sit down I’m going to kill him.”

“And how do you want me to do that, Pepper?” He’s watching in fascination as Tony Stark tries to cook bacon.

“Sit on him.” Steve barks out a laugh and Tony turns.

“Capsicle! I’m cooking!  I didn’t know I could cook.”  He looks a little drunk or high then Steve remembers that pain meds that Tony got from the doctor.

“Is he high, Pepper?” She nods, so Steve goes in the kitchen and relieves him of cooking duty.  Tony sits at the table and pouts until Steve puts pancakes and bacon in front of him.

Over the next two months, Steve goes on two more missions. When he’s not on missions, he’s talking or texting with Bucky.  Finally, after those two months, Bucky comes home.  He lands at a private airstrip and Steve’s there waiting with flowers.

Bucky bolts off the jet and into Steve’s arms. They know that somewhere there’s someone taking pictures, but Steve goes with his gut and gets down on one knee.  Bucky’s eyes get so wide that Steve thinks they might pop out of his head.  “What are you doing?”

Steve just grins up at him. “I’m…well…”  He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring box.  “I’ve been thinking about this and I keep coming back to the same thing.  I don’t want to live my life without you next to me.  I want the whole damn world to know that after 100 years on this planet, I finally found the person that makes me feel…”  He stops and tries to identify what it is precisely that Bucky makes him feel and the answer is obvious.  “You make me _feel_.  Until you, I was just going through the motions.  There but not really part of anything.  Then you walked across that room looking like a dream, my dream, and for the first time, I felt.  I love you.  I need you.  I want you.  Always.  Will you marry me, Bucky?”

Bucky started crying around the time that Steve said ‘you make me feel’ and just nods furiously in response. Steve slips the ring on and stands to kiss his fiancé.  The doors of the two SUV’s open and all of the Avengers and Becca file out, whooping and hollering.  Steve bends Bucky backwards, cradling his lower back and head, but keeps kissing him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap.

The wedding of Steven Grant Rogers and James Buchannan Barnes is a small affair a little over a year later at the Avengers Facility in upstate New York. They stand barefoot in the grass on an unusually warm day in early January, under an arch, with Tony officiating and promise their lives to each other.  The following day, Pepper releases the photos taken by Thor to the press. 

Steve and Bucky spend three weeks in Fiji in a tiny house on the beach with no contact with anyone or anything. They spend their days chasing each other along the beach, collecting shells, and cuddling in the hammock.  At night Steve builds a fire on the beach and they watch the play of light on the water.  At the end of their stay, they make arrangements to return the following fall when Bucky finishes filming his next movie.  Janine had it set up already and Steve was getting up close and personal with how much time Bucky would be away from him.  It made leaving the island even harder.

They return home at the end of January to find that Bucky’s movie has done something Bucky never thought possible. It’s garnered him a nomination for best supporting actor in a drama.  They are taken out by the team, plus Pepper, Janine, and Becca to celebrate.  The paparazzi are out in force, but no one pays them any mind.  Most have decided that Bucky is their new darling while there are still a few rags, calling themselves newspapers, who want to drag him and Steve through the mud.  Becca has sued a few of them on behalf of her brother and his husband.  

In February, they hit the red carpet, holding hands and looking at each other like no one else is around. Steve defers all comments with the press to Bucky, but can’t get away on the red mile.  As they make it down the carpet, yelling comes from all directions.  Bucky has to point Steve where they want him because it’s all too confusing for the super soldier.  Steve’s grown a beard and Bucky thinks it’s the sexiest thing that he’s ever seen.  Some people hate it and some people think it’s inappropriate for Captain America to have a beard, but Steve could care less because Bucky likes it.

When the category of Best Supporting Actor comes up, Steve gets teary. He watches as Bucky’s name and picture come up on the screen, leaning in to kiss his cheek.  All the things that Steve has accomplished in his life and nothing compares to seeing his Bucky appreciated for what he does.  Bucky blushes and squeezes Steve’s hand.  Then the most unexpected thing happens.

Bucky’s name is called. He sits in stunned silence for a few seconds longer than normal. Then he kisses Steve and takes the stage.  Looking back at Steve, while standing on the stage, he thinks that he must be dreaming.  “This is unexpected for many reasons.  I know people say that they didn’t prepare anything, but I really didn’t.”  He thanks the memory of his parents for being his rock when he was young.  He thanks Becca for being his confidant and best friend.  He thanks Pepper and Tony for believing in his talent and Janine for being the hardest working agent ever.  He thanks the cast, crew and director for allowing him this chance adding, “And for putting up with my then boyfriend when the action shots weren’t believable.”  The audience laughs and Steve blushes.  “Finally, I’d like to thank my husband for seeing me.  Not who I was, but who I became.”  He looks right at Steve.  “You never cared what anyone said, you just looked at me and felt.  This is for you.  I love you, Stevie.  Only you.  Always you.”


End file.
